Blood-Thirst: The 71st Hunger Games
by FinnickOdair-Will-Live-Forever
Summary: 12 girls and 12 boys enter The Hunger Games each year. Only one comes out. This is a tale of death, pain, sadness, joy and blood-thirst. Who will emerge victorious? SYOT *open*
1. Tribute List

**Hey guys. :) I love SYOT's and I've been thinking about writing one for a while, because honestly I think they're great fun and I don't get why they're banned unless you post the form on your profile. So, you can submit your form, which will be found on my profile, via PM or review. I honestly don't mind which one you choose. You can PM if you want to reserve a tribute, but if the form's not done in a week I'll open it back up to everyone else. I don't know how long it'll take to fill because I don't know how popular it will be, but I'll try to update at least every week once it's all filled out.**

**I'm not going to have a sponsorship system because they're tricky to keep up with, but you will each start with one chance to send your tribute a gift. If your tribute kills four people, you'll get two chances. If your tribute kills six people, you'll get three chances. That's not an extra three, just three overall.**

District 1 Male: Thomas Weller, 16

District 1 Female: Madeline 'Maddie' Atlas, 17

* * *

District 2 Male: Axle Spinner, 18

District 2 Female: Rhea DeLondras, 16

* * *

District 3 Male: Donny Pegger, 13

District 3 Female: Alyana Sparrows, 15

* * *

District 4 Male: Westley Makai, 17

District 4 Female: Sienna 'Cici' Powell

* * *

District 5 Male: RESERVED for Makerboy13

District 5 Female: Odina Eckhart, 13

* * *

District 6 Male: Randall 'Randy' Mercer

District 6 Female: Kayla Maree Fulton, 16

* * *

District 7 Male: Lawrence Liu, 17

District 7 Female: Chapen Ann Kavannah, 17

* * *

District 8 Male:

District 8 Female: Daphne Cornwall

* * *

District 9 Male: Deslin Takbir, 15

District 9 Female: Amilee Haidee Oakley, 16

* * *

District 10 Male: RESERVED for Makerboy13

District 10 Female: Tamera Tides, 17

* * *

District 11 Male: Ciqala Embay, 13

District 11 Female:

* * *

District 12 Male:

District 12 Female:

* * *

**Sorry if I made a mistake in the list, there's only so many times you can write 'District' before it becomes word soup. Remember, the form's on my profile. :)**


	2. District One Reaping

**I have enough tributes to start doing some of the reapings now. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**Thomas Weller:**

"Thomas…Thomas wake up…" A sing-song voice lulled me out of my sleep. Yawning, I stretched and sat up in my bed.

"Mom." I said, but it was early and my voice cracked.

"Today's the day, Thomas. We couldn't be any prouder of you." My father said from the doorway. I heard a snort from the bed across from mine.

"How can you be proud of him?" My twin brother Michael asked, rolling over to face the rest of us. "He's going to kill innocent children for the sake of glory. That's not something _I'd _be proud of."

"Michael." Our mother snapped sternly.

"Your brother is brave, Michael. He'll bring pride to his District in a way you never will." Our father said. He pushed himself off from the doorframe and stomped down the hallway, towards the stairs.

"It's okay, Michael. There's nothing wrong with being a pacifist." Our mother turned back to face me again. "But we're so proud of you Thomas!"

She smiled brightly at me before running out of the room.

"How do you live with yourself?" Michael asked. He was sat up now, and he was looking at me disgustedly.

"Huh?"

"How do you go to sleep at night, knowing that you're counting down the days until you get to kill kids for the sake of pride?"

"It's not a big deal. If I didn't kill them, they would kill me." I shrugged.

"You could just not volunteer at all." Michael suggested.

"And let someone else take my victory? No way." I frowned at Michael before standing up and stretching again. "Now get out of here. I need to get ready."

Usually I just ignore Michael when he starts spouting all that peace crap, but today was finally my day. He has no idea what it's like, being the best in your training class. Everybody there loves me; I made a ton of friends who think I'll definitely win this year. Being picked as District One's male tribute made my parents so proud I thought they were gonna burst. Michael just doesn't understand that, sometimes, you gotta do something bad to be good.

After showering, I brushed my brown hair, which usually stuck up in tufts above my ears when it's not wet. I admit, it does kind of make me look like a cat. I suppose that's how I got my nickname from Maddie, 'Kitty Boy'. I have green eyes and I guess I'm pretty tall for my age. I got dressed in the clothes I picked out for the Reaping- just a gold t-shirt and jeans. I made sure to slide my token into my pocket; a small statue of a cat that my friend Ginnie had given me for my birthday.

My door creaked open and my cat snuck unto the room. I picked her up and gave her a stroke before setting her down again. I love cats, but if anyone asks me my view on animals, I'll say that they're only good for meat.

**Madeline Atlas:**

I was woken by that fast beeping of my alarm clock. I slammed the off button, and sat up.

"Legolas!" I called out. My Labrador padded into my bedroom and hopped onto my bed.

"Good boy." I ran my hand over his head a few times before gently pushing him off me. I guess you could say that I was closer to my dog than my parents. When they realised that I was a District One prodigy, they kind of stepped away and let me get on with my training with no distractions. To be honest, it didn't really bother me. I just so badly want to get into that arena and _win_. Killing people gives me a sense of authority that I don't get anywhere else. Call me sadistic. I don't care. This is my year and I won't let anyone get in my way, not even my good friend Thomas. If he dies, it won't affect me too much. I have other close friends, not many, but I trust them.

I climbed out of my bed and threw open my wardrobe.

"Hmm…" I wanted to come across as sly and manipulative, so that as soon as the other tributes saw me on the replay they would know that I was a force to be reckoned with, a girl who's not afraid to kill. I finally chose a strappy black dress that reached my knees. I was your typical blonde haired, blue eyed, District One teenager. I was seventeen, and taller than all of the girls at the academy. Whatever, it just means that I can strike at their heads with my sword more easily. Oh, I was ready for this.

"Maddie? Are you up?" My mother called from downstairs. I went down to meet her and my father, grabbing a slice of toast off of the table as I did.

"We know that you'll do great today." My father assured me- like I needed his assurance.

"We may not have been there for you, but we had to let you train. You're a prodigy." My mother beamed.

"Whatever." I shrugged. I fiddled with the old golden ring on my finger.

"Take that tatty thing off." My mother frowned. I shrugged again and ran out of the door without removing the ring.

"Hey, Atlas!" I heard somebody shout from behind me. I turned around, spotting Thomas immediately.

"Alright Kitty Boy?" I grinned wickedly at him. He pulled on one of his tufts of hair and sighed.

"I'm fine. Today's the today, huh?" Thomas smiled.

"Yeah." I agreed. We decided to walk in silence- talking to one of your closest friends about how you would happily kill them would be slightly awkward.

**Thomas Weller:**

Chicky McDee is the overexcited, sparkly skinned, obsessively irritating District One escort. She must have been pushing forty, but work in the Capitol made her look younger. Well, that was the intention anyway. She still looked like a diamanté carrier bag to me.

"It's so great to be here!" She had gushed more than six times. (I counted.) "I love diamonds!"

Then she played the video that we watch every damn year. At first, I had enjoyed it. Now I had seen it five times and I was getting bored. I nudged the guy next to me, a friend of mine since I was fourteen.

"How much of her face do you think is fake?" I asked him. He laughed and then pointed to the video, implying that we should be watching it.

"Okay, boys first!" Chicky announced one the Capitol film had finished. She reached around in the giant fish bowl for a name. She didn't even have time to read the name out before I was yelling,

"I volunteer!" I ran towards the stage and jumped the two stairs.

"A volunteer! How _exciting_! What's your name, sweet pea?" She asked.

"Thomas Weller, and I'm going to win!" I announced proudly. The crowd cheered, my parents and friends cheering the loudest.

"Alrighty then! Now for the girls!" Chicky reached girls' bowl and picked a slip.

"Juliana Day!" She announced brightly.

"I volunteer!" Maddie yelled. She raced up the path to join me on stage.

"What's your-"

"Madeline Atlas." She cut Chicky off with a shrug, before smirking into a camera. "Call me Maddie or I'll slit your throat."

"Um, okay." Chicky said uneasily. "Let's hear it for our District One tributes this year!"

She held our arms in the air as the crowd roared in approval. I glanced over at Maddie, but she didn't look back. She was too busy looking bored. Sure, she was a friend. But killing her for victory? For a chance to be remembered? It would be easy.

**I hope you're okay with how I portrayed the characters, District 2's next.**


	3. District Two Reaping

**I don't own The Hunger Games, or any of these characters. :)**

**Rhea DeLondras:**

"Hey DeLondras!"

I stopped walking away from my early morning training class and turned around slowly, already raising an eyebrow.

"Do I know you?" I asked.

"You broke both of my legs three years ago." The boy frowned. Oh, right. Him. I'm inferior to every one of the morons at my training academy, but I must have hated this boy most of all at some point. I don't know, I try not associate with the lower beings.

"You have a problem with that?" I sneered.

"I saw what you did to that girl last week." He said, picking up his pace to catch up with me. I started walking again when he caught up.

"She cheated." I shrugged.

"She needed twenty six stitches!" The boy said, clearly horrified by my actions. If you choose to try and cheat me into losing at my favourite skill, javelin throwing, then the chances of me slicing your lips off are very high. It's not my fault that she wasn't throwing her right weight.

"I don't care. Now get away from me." I shoved him, and he stumbled backwards. I shot him a look of disgust before jogging off, away from the stupid boy.

I arrived home to the sounds of Mimas and Titan screaming at each other. Considering they're aged eighteen and twenty, they sure argue a lot.

"Rhea will agree with me!" Mimas said as I walked through the door.

"Don't involve your sister. It's a big day for her." Our mother said, barely glancing up from her newspaper. God, I hated that woman. She had been unemployed since I was five years old, I'm sixteen now, and it was half past seven and she was already drinking from a liquor flask. My father wasn't home; he has to leave early for his job at the Nut. My respect for that man is endless. He was, after all, the one that first got me training when I was little.

I shook my head at my brothers and made my way upstairs. After a quick shower, I tied my hair into two plaits and changed into my Reaping outfit. It was a simple, long blue dress but I had never really needed anything glamorous. If you listened to District Two talk about their idea of pretty, they would be describing me. My hair is dark brown and my eyes blue. I'm not short, but I'm not too tall which is the perfect height for attacking and for hiding out in places.

I fastened my token to my dress. It was a pin that spelled 'D2', something I had received when I was chosen as the tribute this year. In all honestly, the Games are stupid. Sending in scrawny teenagers from Districts where food isn't really available is ridiculous. They aren't worthy opponents. Don't even get me started on the Capitol, with their bright coloured skin and wigs. I'd still go into their games though, and I would win. Anyone that even thought about crossing my path would get an arrow through their heart.

**Axle Spinner:**

"Axle get your ass down here!" My mother yelled from down the stairs. I rolled my eyes and slouched downstairs into the kitchen. My mother's a pretty scary woman, and I don't scare easily. She won the 49th Hunger Games by slicing somebody clean in half. My sister Demetria was hunched over a bowl of cereal at the breakfast table. She was known by the Capitolites as 'The Silent Backstabber', after she killed her allies in their sleep in the 66th Hunger Games. She was only fifteen when she won, which had earned her my respect.

"You need a big breakfast if you're going to volunteer today." My mother said. She was frying bacon which smelled good, but it didn't exactly fit in with my diet plan. When you are selected as tribute, the officials tell you that you should eat only meats, berries and bark that will be found in the Arena. Winning would be easy- I could slaughter ten men in my sleep. Killing gave me a rush that nothing else could. Being feared but respected was one of the best feelings in the world, a feeling that everyone in my family except my father could understand. What a disgrace, he's a stone miner.

"I'm not eating that shit." I snorted. My mother turned around and glared at me, brandishing a bread knife.

"You can and you will. You need a big breakfast today, and I know that you'll eat it because you know that I won't hesitate to use this knife if you don't." She snapped.

"Bullshit." I muttered. I slouched out of the room, and the bread knife hit the doorframe milliseconds after I'd gone through it. I couldn't tell if she had meant to miss.

My Reaping outfit was pretty simple and my token was chosen for strategy, not so that I could sob for my District every night like the wimps from District Twelve undoubtedly would. The token was a watch, so that I would always know the time in the Arena and spot any patterns that may occur. My Reaping outfit was just a dark polo shirt and black pants- who in the Capitol actually gave a damn about what I looked like as long as I could kill ruthlessly?

I wet my dark brown hair and brushed it back, seeing as it's hard to come across as a violent killer when you still have a bed head. My eyes are brown and I'm six two, I'm not as built as some of the other guys at my academy which makes me faster than them. If I didn't win this thing, then my family would know for certain that the Games were rigged or something.

When I arrived at the square for the Reaping, our escort was already there. Pablo Fidelo was so up himself that I'm surprised he wasn't kissing his own ass every ten seconds. He had the orangest tan I had ever seen, and his eyes were purple. Who the crap wants purple eyes?

"Boys first!" He announced once we had seen the same film we see every year.

"I volunteer!" I yelled as soon as he had picked out a slip. I walked up to the stage confidently, so that people would know that I was boss around here and I would be coming back home.

"What's your name son?" Pablo asked. He seemed way too excited to be here.

"Axle Spinner." I announced, a cocky grin pushing itself onto my face.

"Axle Spinner everybody!" He yelled, and the crowed whooped excitedly. "Now, the girls!"

He pulled a slip out of the glass bowl, but didn't have time to read it before a girl was yelling out that she volunteered. It was Rhea DeLondras- I recognized her from the academy.

"Looks like I've finally got a worthy opponent." I muttered to myself as she introduced herself, and the crowd roared for us to shed blood.


	4. District Three Reaping

**Finally got the District Three tribute, thanks. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**Donny Pegger:**

"Donny?"

A small hand tugged impatiently at my shirt.

"Not now Megan, I'm busy." I brushed her hand away and continued scribbling numbers all over my notepad paper.

"Doing what?" She asked, blinking at me. I swear to God, she's the most childish twelve year old I know. I'm a year older, and ten more times mature than her.

"I'm _busy_." I repeated through gritted teeth. Truth is, I didn't know what the hell I was doing. Sometimes numbers just popped into my head and I needed to write the down as quickly as I could before I forgot them. Usually a half hour or so later I could make them into more sense- time codes, data encryptions, algebraic equations…They all just came to me.

That's probably why I have no friends. People don't want to hang out with the math geek, the guy who as all the answers stored in his brain all the time. Mom says people are intimidated by my smartness- but I know that she's just trying to make me feel better. The real reason , plain and simple, is that I'm the biggest nerd my grade as ever known. I suppose having Beetee for an uncle helped with that.

"Will you help me?" Megan asked nervously.

"What with?" I sighed, dropping my pen and rubbing my face. The numbers would have to wait.

"My outfit. For the Reaping." She said, staring sadly at the floor. I'm the worst older brother ever. I'd completely forgotten not only about the Reaping, but that it was Megan's first.

"I'm so sorry Megan, of course I'll help." I ruffled her hair affectionately. She grinned and pulled me into her bedroom, which wasn't hard for her. She's nearly as tall as me.

"I want to look nice." She stated, throwing open her closet doors. After helping her pick out a knee length purple dress and black strappy shoes, she turned to me and threw herself into my arms.

"I don't wanna be reaped." She sobbed into my arms.

"It's okay, Megan. You only took one tesserae. You know how many kids are in there ten or twenty times?" I whispered into her dark hair.

"No." She mumbled.

"Hundreds." Like me, who had taken tesserae fourteen times so that we could keep our house. "Now get changed."

I locked myself in my own room and decided to wear a white button up shirt, a blur tie and blue jeans. I combed my stick-up brown hair, but it sprung back up again. Oh well, I'm not stupid enough to think that I've ever actually looked nice in my life.

The Reaping will scare me every year now that Megan is eligible. If I get reaped, I will inevitably die in the arena. If that happens, Megan will have to take out even more tesserae. I can't do that to her. If she gets reaped, I'll volunteer and somehow one of us will make it out. Can I really afford to think about it in any other way?

**Elyana Sparrows:**

I've always loved the sun. It makes happy moments happier, sad times evaporate in the heat and it makes the cold go away. I hate the cold.

"Earth to Elyana, do you read me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry." I blushed slightly. Ivy, my best friend, always said that I had a bad attention span. For example, we were talking and laughing at one moment and I was thinking about the sun the next.

"Whatever." Ivy rolled her eyes and elbowed me in the side, which hurt a little. She's so much taller than me, so she got the top of my ribs. Ivy's easily one of the tallest fifteen year old girls in the District. I'm a little on the short side, so we do look a little odd when we walk next to each other.

"You're doing it again." Ivy pointed out. "Thinking about the Reaping?"

"Well I am now." I sighed, unlocking the door to my house.

"Like you'll get reaped." She scoffed from the gate.

"I could." I said absentmindedly, but we both know that this isn't true. I won't get reaped. Ivy is the oldest of six and had to take tesserae seventeen times, meaning her name is in the bowl twenty two times. I am in there four times, seeing as I come from a relatively well-off family. We are not rich, but I will never have to take tesserae and we live in a nicer part or town.

"I'll see you after the Reaping." Ivy grinned at me before running off down the road. My sister Molina is sat at the dining room table in her highchair, being spoon fed by our mother.

"Hi, Mom." I kissed her on the cheek and scooped Molina out of the chair. She giggled and pulled on my earring as I pulled funny faces at her.

"Leave her be darling, I've only just got her eating." My mother said. She sounded tired- her and my dad have been working a lot lately. It means that I have to baby sit Molina a lot, but I don't mind. I have my friends over and the coo over her every time. Even the boys.

"Sure." I kissed Molina on her soft head and placed her back in her highchair. "I'm going to get ready."

…

The reaping officially starts at one o'clock, but I arrived early like the rest of my District. Since I know that I won't be reaped, I didn't bother too much about what I wore. I threw on my white jeans and a pink shirt that makes me look even more like a little girl. I had tied my long brown hair in a ponytail and lined my blue eyes with eyeliner.

"Welcome, Citizens!" Our escort, Guy Kindling, yelled out once the boring video had been played for us. His hair had been green for three years, but this year it was the same shade of blue as his skin. His Capitol look was _interesting _to say the least.

"Let's start with our gentlemen this year!" He starts with them every year, yet that is always what he says. He fished around in the bowl for a few minutes as the boys all seemed to hold their breath.

"Donny Pegger!" Guy announced excitedly. The crowds moved for the boy, and I think some people snickered. I could only really see him when he was on the stage, and his mouth was agape.

"Donny Pegger everybody! Now the girls!" The escort yelled. Donny stared at him, but it seemed like he had gotten over his initial shock. Poor kid. Guy fished for a slip inside the girls bowl, and pulled out a another slip.

"Elyana Sparrows!"

My brain processed the words slowly, but as soon as I realised it was my name that was called I burst into tears. This whole thing was horrifying- How could _I _have been reaped? I didn't want to go up there, but it wasn't really like I had a choice. The Capitol always has more power over you than you think.

**Robbie Pegger:**

"Please don't go, you can't go." Megan screamed into my shoulder as I hugged her tightly.

"I have too, Meggie. Will you look after dad for me?" My own father wasn't here to say goodbye, because I knew that I would die and he was too scared to admit it.

"Of course." Megan sniffed, nodding her head as pulled away from me.

"Good girl." I ruffled her hair. Tears welled up in my eyes- would I ever be able to ruffle her hair like that again?

"I love you, sis." I smiled at her. If I'm not positive, how can I expect her to be? "I'll be back before you know it."

"I love you too, Donny." She doesn't say 'You're right', or 'I know' or anything like that. It looks like we've all accepted that I'm going to die in that arena. Is it too late to run away now?

**Sorry for any grammar mistakes, it's been a long day. :(**


	5. District Four Reaping

**I haven't been able to get on here for a while, but it's working fine now. :) I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**Sienna Powell:**

"Ready, Cici?"

"I was born ready, Cesca!"

She bumped the volleyball high into the air and I spiked it over the net. It thudded against the ground, and we won the point.

"You've embarrassed the boys enough today girls, and it's not even nine o'clock!" Marina yelled from the water.

"She's right." Francesca grinned, shaking out her blonde hair. "We should give them a break."

"Whatever." I shrugged. Francesca Rosini and Marina Nima were my closest friends in District Four. I'm home-schooled, so the truth is that I would probably never have met them if I wasn't such a beach nut. Being at the beach gave me a feeling that I hadn't been able to find anywhere else. Marina was always just as bad as me- she spends every waking hour at the beach. She can get away with it- her black hair, big brown eyes and permanent bright smile allow her to get away with anything. My parents, however, are the types that aspire to live in the Capitol and would never be seen dead associating with the local beach bums. Francesca likes the beach too, but for a different reason. She's fifteen, one year older than me and Marina, and she loves the sports side of the beach- volleyball, swimming, that kind of stuff. Cesca was the one that gave me the nickname 'Cici'. Her younger sister Calianna loves running on this stretch of the beach, and she kind of got me hooked on the sport as well.

"Let's swim." Francesca suggested once we had made our way over to Marina.

"You know we can't." Marina sighed, tucking her knees up under her chin.

"The reaping's not for another two hours." Francesca pointed out.

"My parents will _kill _me if they think I've been swimming before the reaping." I shrugged. If it were up to me, we'd be living on a boat on the ocean. The only time I ever truly feel free is when I'm in the water. There's no Hunger Games, no bossy parents, no pressure to be perfect…It's just waves. They never stop.

When I finally arrived home, my parents weren't home. With my mother being a nurse and my father being a layer, and both of them being socialites, I never really saw all that much of them. The only time was when my mother was dragging me off to some lame party for law practisers and surgeons. I took a quick shower to rid myself of sand and the smell of salt, before slipping into my reaping day outfit. It's nothing special, just a coral coloured t-shirt tucked into a black pencil skirt, but I can guarantee you that it's more posh than anything you'd ever be able to get Francesca or Marina into in. My mother enjoys things being prim and proper.

I picked up my hairbrush from my dressing table and wished, not for the first time, that my mother would allow me to straighten my hair. It's mousey brown and naturally wavy. It comes halfway down my back, but if I straightened it, it would be even longer. Like my mother would actually ever let me do that. I'm not about to ask now, my parents always get stressed around reaping time because they're trying to plan for as many parties as possible. I'm pretty sure my parents have made sure I will never get Reaped, but something just feels bad about today.

**Westley Makai:**

I watched Jaxson as he paced nervously through my living room.

"Dude, just relax." I said, stretching out on the couch.

"I can't bro. The Reaping starts in, like, two hours." Jaxson has been my closest friend ever since his father started working at the same pier as mine, when we were both six. We get on really well, considering we're polar opposites. I'm relaxed and sometimes a little lazy, whereas he works his ass off almost every day on the fishing boats. I enjoy being easy going, but he panics easily. I'm not really sure how we're so close, but I'm not about to question it.

"Just calm down. There's nothing you can do about it if you get reaped." If it's meant to be it'll happen, is the motto I live by.

"Westley, my name's in there six times. So's yours, so come panic with me." Jaxson said, rolling his eyes.

"That's nothing." I shrugged. "Some kids are in there, like, twenty times."

"Whatever man. I'll see you later." Jaxson picked up his jumper and walked out of the living room. I rolled over on the couch, hoping to get some more sleep before the Reaping.

"Westley?"

No chance of that, then.

"In here, mom!" I called out, sitting up wearily. I rubbed at my eyes as she walked into the room.

"Hey, Westley." She smiled brightly at me as she sat down and kissed me on the cheek.

"Hey, mom. What's up?" I asked, smiling back at her.

"Oh, nothing really. I got you this." She pulled a small package out of her pocket and handed it to me.

"What's this for?" I asked, opening the package. A miniature brown conch shell with a black thread lopped through it fell into my hand.

"I know you're not really worried about the Reaping, but if you do go in this year then I just wanted you to have a decent token." She said.

"I love it mom, thanks." I pulled it over my head and gave her a quick hug. I guess everyone's worried about the Reaping this year except me.

"Citizens of District Four, I welcome you!" The escort, Mia Tuliipp, called out to us. What a bimbo, how can you be welcomed to the place where you live by somebody that only comes here once a year?

"We're going to have a Victor this year, I can just feel it!" She grinned. She could barely move, seeing as her dress ended in a mermaid tail. I could never understand the Capitol's mad fashions. My Reaping outfit was pretty simple, a collared shirt and pants. Mia's wrong about having a Victor this year- this year's academy goers look pretty ropey. Everybody hopes to be the next Finnick Odair, but our training facilities aren't anywhere near as advanced as District One and Two's.

"Ladies first!" Mia announced. She shuffled over to the bowl and fished around for a name- no pun intended.

"Sienna Powell!" She yelled. The crowd of girls parted, and a girl with brown hair in a ponytail and longest legs I've ever seen on a fourteen/fifteen year old made her way slowly up to the stage. Her hands were balled so tightly into fists that the looked like she might explode, and when she gets over the initial shock of being reaped, fear is evident in her blue eyes.

"Come here, sweetheart." Mia grabbed the girl's hand when she reached the stage and yanked her towards her.

"Sienna everybody!"

"It's Cici." She muttered into the microphone. Her eyes didn't seem to focus as she stared out at the crowd.

"Now for the boys!" Mia searched for a name inside the boy's bowl. "Westley Makai!"

Well that I was _not _expecting.


	6. District Five Reaping

**Sorry it's been a while, but I've only just got my laptop back since it was broken. I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**Odina Eckhart:**

"Come on, Odina. Show us what you're made of!" Hadley Cooper grinned. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, keeping her other arm on the table.

"I really can't." I laughed.

"You're chicken." Abigail Donerson accused, a smile stretching across her face. She grabbed my elbow and pulled me towards the table. Abigail was probably my best friend, which meant I let her get away with these kinds of things.

"No!" I protested, looking to Linus for support. All he did was grin, which made me melt a little. I was turning fourteen in a few months, and then I'd be the same age as him. Everybody told us that we were too young to date, but I think I love him. I believe in experiencing life whilst you still can, because who knows when the Capitol will take it away from you?

"Just do it, 'Dina." Linus said, shooting me a 'thumbs up' gesture.

The real reason I didn't want to arm wrestle with Hadley was because I was stronger than most girls my age. I made up for the height I didn't have in strength. I rested my elbow on the table and gripped Hadley's hand, anyway.

"Ready…Go!" Abigail said, and I pushed at Hadley's hand. Less than a minute later, I had it pinned under mine.

"Twenty nine seconds, that's a new record." Abigail said, her wrist watch beeping. "Oh my God guys, it's ten o'clock."

"My mom's gonna kill me!" Hadley yelped, pulling on her coat. She was out of the door before Linus and I had time to even look shocked.

"Two hours is plenty of time." Abigail shrugged.

"Yeah, for you. You're in your own house." Linus pointed out. "Come on, Odina. I'll walk you home."

We'd all been friends ever since we were eleven. Abigail and I had clicked as soon as we met, and she'd been my best friend since we were six. Linus joined us when he was nine and we were eight, and we met Hadley when we were eleven. Linus and I had been together for four months, despite our age. We hung out every morning, but today was the Reaping and we'd lost track of time.

"Do you think you'll get Reaped?" I asked Linus as we walked back to my house.

"Nope." He grinned. "What about you?"

"No. I'm only in there twice." I said after hesitating. The Hunger Games terrify me every year. The even scared me when I was eleven and ineligible. I'd love to stop them, but what can I do about them?

"We're both going to be fine." Linus assured me when we reached my house. He pecked me on the cheek before saying goodbye and carrying on down the street. I sighed as I unlocked my front door and went inside. I didn't dare think about what would happen if I were to be Reaped.

**Ielek Ezeki Tropous:**

If I don't look up, he won't know that it's me.

"Hey, Ielek!"

I was wrong. Usually, bullies don't bother me. I'm not exactly built like a Career, but I could take them out if necessary. Their words never seemed to bother, but this one kid in particular always seemed to get under my skin.

"Just stay calm." Lianda, my best friend, whispered from next to me. Her hand was resting on my forearm.

"It's the Reaping today, Ielek." Roello sneered, crossing the street so that he could taunt me.

"Yeah, so?" I shrugged, shoving my hands into my pockets so that he couldn't see me ball them into fists.

"Are you going to die like your stupid brother did? That Career girl cut him up nicely." Roello laughed.

"They'll kill you, just like they killed him." He could barely stop laughing.

I couldn't control myself- I launched at Roello, and grabbed his throat. I couldn't stop throttling him. It was like I was watching myself from the other side of the street.

I'd been having these 'episodes' ever since my older brother Horus died in the 66th Hunger Games, five years ago. I was only eleven- he had been my hero. Horus was the last tribute to die, and girl from District Four had sliced off both of his arms before shoving her blunt knife through his throat. It had been a closed casket funeral. Life hadn't been the same since Horus' murder. Whenever I felt threatened or scared, my mind would jump back to the moment I had seen the Career girl playing with my brother's served arm and my body wouldn't be my own anymore. That, paired with my hormone imbalance, created quite the mess. All rational thoughts would leave me, and I would get a surge of adrenaline that led me to violently attack. Sometimes the only way to snap me out of it would be for somebody close to me, like my parents or Lianda, to talk to me. Although I had gotten better at controlling my outbursts, it was still hard for me.

"Ielek! Let go, he's not worth it!" Lianda tugged on my arm, willing me to stop. "It's okay, honestly. You've won, now let go."

I released Roello, and he landed with a thud on the concrete. His face was purple and his eyes were barely open, but he was breathing.

"Listen to me." Lianda said, addressing Roello this time. She kicked him sharply in the side. "Ielek is a great guy. You talk about his brother like that again, and you'll have me to answer to."

I may flirt with a lot of girls, but Lianda will always be the one for me. I just don't want to ruin our friendship.

…

The Reaping is always a nightmare for me. Our escort, Giles Trunchman, is a total jackass. His skin's been tanned so many times that it's now a permanent shade of sickly yellow, which would be gross even he _wasn't_ fifty. His hair was usually red, but he always made sure to dye it pale blue for the Reaping and he must had had at least ten face lifts in the last few years, and twice as much Botox.

"Wasn't that amazing?" He asked unenthusiastically after the video had played. I'm telling you, the guy's a drag. I sighed loudly and fiddled with the buttons on my blue dress shirt.

"Let us start with the ladies!" He declared. The fishbowl looked almost twice as full this year as it did last year. Times are getting tough in District Five, I suppose.

"Odina Eckhart!" The crowds split so that the Capitol television cameras can zoom in on a tiny dark haired girl with blue eyes. She started to cry, but stopped and composed herself before making her way up to the stage.

"Let's have a big round of applause for Odina Eckhart!" Giles yelled. The crowd clapped politely as the girl's knees shook. I'd hate to be in her position. I glanced over at Lianda, who was glaring so hard at our escort that I thought she might explode.

"Now for the boys!" Giles pulled a slip out of the glass bowl. "Ielek Tropous! Is that how you say that?"

"It's eye-leck. Not Ee-lek." I yelled. When it finally hit me that it was _my _name, my hands started trembling and my eyes narrowed.

Suddenly Lianda was next to me, muttering that it would all be okay. I decided to believe her, because she's never lied to me before. I walked slowly up to the stage, and glared at the crowd as they applauded me. I could do this. I could do it for Horus.

**Odina Eckhart:**

The first people after my parents to burst through the door were Abigail and Hadley. They hugged me tightly and didn't say a word until they had to leave.

"Good luck." They both said through their tears before leaving. They didn't even say goodbye; maybe they were foolish enough to believe that I would actually make it back breathing.

"Odina." Linus slipped into the room and caught me in a huge hug.

"You were wrong." I sobbed into his shoulder. "We're not okay."

"We're _fine_." He snapped. I pulled back so that I could look at him.

"You're delusional."

"No, 'Dina, I'm not. You're going to come back a Victor. I'm going to raise so much money for your mentor to use, I promise. I'm not going to let you die." Linus swore, but I could see my own doubt reflected in his eyes.

"I'm not going to make it back." I sniffed.

"Yes you are. Then when we hit sixteen, our parents will have to let us marry." Linus said. When a peacekeeper came to escort him from the room, it was too son

Two minutes later, Kacy Kadean walked into the room. She was grinning so much I thought that her lips would fall off.

"What do you want?" I asked. Kacy and I had never been friends. She was the nastiest almost fifteen year old I'd ever met, and she wanted Linus.

"Your boyfriend. And when you die, that's exactly what I'll get." She laughed.

"Linus wouldn't do that." I said, biting down on my lip.

"Yes darling, he would. I'm older than you. I'm taller than you. I'm _better _than you." She prodded me in the chest. "You're so young you don't even know what love _is_."

Okay, now I'm definitely coming back alive.

**A few spaces are still available, so if you want to fill them feel free. :)**


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